To the Last Breath
by Yorokobi Asahi
Summary: While Mustang's team is searching for a rogue alchemist, Havoc gets an echo that suspicious men were seen in a nearby forest. Mustang, Havoc and Edward come to investigate. They have no idea they walked right into a trap. Hints of Parental!RoyEd. NO yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

Title: To the Last Breath

Author: Yorokobi Asahi

Summary: While Mustang's team is searching for a rogue alchemist, Havoc gets an echo that suspicious men were seen in a nearby forest. Mustang, Havoc and Edward come to investigate. They have no idea they walked right into a trap.

Characters: Edward E., Roy M., Jean H.

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

Rating: T

Warning: Blood, some language

Includes: Hints of Parental!RoyEd

Does not include: No yaoi

Timeline: Brotherhood universe. Before first episode.

Thanks: To JRaylin441 for beta-reading

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. No profits were made.

* * *

><p><strong>„Being strong is <strong>**not only about strength, but about keeping fighting when you are weak****"**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"So what're you looking for?" asked Havoc as he lit another cigarette. He stood at the entrance to a relatively large cave in the woods and stared at the sky. Even when the sun couldn't be seen over all the trees, the slightly orange glow was still evident indicating that the day was slowly coming to end.

"We'll know it when we find it" replied the Fullmetal Alchemist without even trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. The older soldier only smiled at that. He could hear the boy complaining about unnecessary interruption in his research all the way here. He and his brother had brought some interesting books from their last mission and the young alchemist wasn't pleased at all that he had to let them be for the time being and go help Colonel Mustang with his assignment.

"Anything related to alchemy or otherwise suspicious." added Mustang while examining closely one stone wall of the cave. Not that Havoc had any idea how he could find something related to alchemy this way but he didn't comment it; he wasn't an alchemist after all. Actually, he didn't have any idea how to _recognize_ anything related to alchemy, except a transmutation circle. Well, that was what the two alchemists were here for, right?

So there they were, a few miles away from the East City, in the middle of a wood, looking for anything suspicious in some old cave. Havoc could think of a hundred things that he would rather be doing on a night like this. But work comes first, unfortunately. And with this little terrorist group they had to deal with, he could probably look forward to more unpleasant evenings and long nights like this.

There was always someone not happy with the current government (or rather, the lack of it) and the military regime. Usually it was some unimportant political group that was just and complaining and nothing more. But from time to time someone appeared who didn't like to be ignored and usually used the wrong way to get attention. Like a terrorist attack. About two weeks ago there had been some skirmishes in the East City but nothing big. Nobody thought much about it and aside from a regular arrest warrant the military didn't pay attention to it. Until a bomb exploded at the train station two days ago. Three civilians and one soldier had been killed, several other people injured. Upon closer examination it was discovered that the bomb was made with alchemy and thanks to the political group who claimed it was their doing the military had a good lead on who the alchemist might be. Colonel Mustang was given a direct order to find and arrest the man and anyone who might be helping him. With his whole team on the case it was just matter of time, or so Mustang promised to his superiors.

Today Havoc was given information that suspicious men were seen repeatedly in the woods north from East City and some witness led him to this cave. Havoc himself couldn't find anything suspicious here; but because he wasn't an alchemist he reported back to the colonel and asked him to check it out himself. Mustang decided to take Edward with him because he was a skilled alchemist too; although he didn't use these exact words when he ordered the teen to go. So there they were.

The younger alchemist made a few steps into the darkness of the cave and turned to his superior with a scowl. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once and give me some light here?"

"What do you think I am?" barked Mustang. "A torch?"

The boy only smirked at that. "That isn't a bad idea."

"You know," replied the colonel, "I could accuse you of insubordination."

"For what?" asked Edward lazily while eyeing the ceiling of the cave.

"Suggesting that your superior officer is a torch."

"You said that, not me."

"You're not going to win this one, Fullmetal."

"And why's that?"

"Because I can always pull rank." smirked the older alchemist.

Ed's brow twitched. "Bastard!"

"And you're running out of arguments, too." continued Mustang as he walked deeper into the cave. "Actually, I think the extent of your arguments was always rather short."

"Who're you calling so short he can be mistaken for a baby?!"

Havoc just smiled. You could count on these two anytime. Let them be together for five minutes and they'll be at each other's throats. At least it was some excitement in this boring evening.

He threw the smoked cigarette on the ground and damped it down with his boot. When he lifted his leg and walked away, he noticed something unusually bright on the dirt covered ground. He kicked more dirt off of the dark stones and confirmed his suspicion.

"Boss!" he called to his superior. "I think I've found something!"

Both alchemists looked back at the soldier as he uncovered more of the transmutation circle. Then Edward's eyes widened in horror. With three quick steps he was next to the older man and shouted:

"Get away from it!"

The teen grabbed Havoc's arm and pulled him away from the circle but it was too late. The circle was now completely uncovered and Havoc stepped on it one last time. There was a bright light and the ground began to tremble. The three men stumbled a few steps deeper into the cave before they fell to the ground. There was a loud cracking sound and a deafening roar of falling stones. And then nothing.

* * *

><p>Silence. Everything stopped moving. Mustang opened his eyes. Nothing. Of course, he thought. If the entrance collapsed completely, the cave would be pitch black. He heard a pained groan next to him.<p>

"Everyone alright?" he asked while checking for his own injuries. To his relief he found none, except a few bruises.

Again he heard a groan, which he now clearly recognized as Havoc's.

"Havoc, you okay?" the colonel asked again as he got to his knees, trying to find the man in the dark. He could make some light of course but didn't want to waste oxygen with fire if it wasn't necessary.

"Yeah, in one piece at least," Havoc grunted. "Back hurts."

"Anything broken?" Mustang finally found his subordinate but didn't want to move him yet.

"Don't think so." said the soldier as he slowly sat up. "Just one hell of a bruise." He slowly made some movements testing his back and sighed. "I'm alright."

"Fullmetal?" the colonel shouted. "Answer me!"

"I'm fine." said Edward but his voice was strained. "Just hard to talk."

"What do you mean?"

"Stuck." he replied simply. The two adults could hear him breathing heavily.

Mustang decided he needed to see what was going on and snapped, using alchemy to get a fire going. His eyes widened in shock. There was a wall of stones where the entrance had once been; luckily staying in place instead of falling on them. And the reason was Edward, leaning against one large boulder, with his automail arm outstretched to support another stone. Ed's flesh arm was outstretched as well to help distribute the weight and support the boulder, but from elbow down it hung limp and bloody. Ed was half standing, half kneeling, his head hung down and slightly panting.

"Fullmetal..." Mustang whispered.

"What the... chief!" shouted Havoc and got to his feet, wincing. Eyes wide, he looked over Edward and the stone wall and shivered slightly at the thought that without the young alchemist, he would be buried under the mass of stones, probably dead. The kid had just saved his life.

"How can you even hold that much weight?" the young soldier asked in disbelief.

"He's not holding all the weight," said the colonel as he stood up as well, his calm back. "Most of its weight is directed right down by gravity, and these few large boulders hold the whole thing in place. The structure mostly holds on its own. Fullmetal's only supporting it so it won't fall. You could say he's a skid."

"Sounds nice when you say it like that," grunted Ed. "It's still damn hard to hold."

"I don't doubt that, considering your small stature," smirked Mustang.

The teen tried to answer, but his breath hitched. His legs shifted slightly and he grimaced. "Shut up!" his voice was strained.

The older alchemist stopped smirking. This wasn't something to joke about. The position his subordinate was in was clearly uncomfortable and he could see the boy's legs tremble. Ed was half kneeling and it had to be putting a lot of strain on his legs. Roy didn't doubt that the teen was strong, and automail could really help in a situation like this, but everybody has their limits. They had to do something about it or he wouldn't last much longer.

"Put something... I can lean on... under my knees," said Edward, putting words to his thoughts.

The two adults looked around the cave. There were still a lot of loose stones, so they shifted some of them under the boy's knees. To their relief he relaxed and his panting eased.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Still," said Havoc, "that can't be very comfortable."

"It isn't," agreed the young alchemist, smiling. "But now it's much better."

"Well," the colonel was once again looking around their temporary prison, "you can't stay like that forever. Which means, Havoc, we have to find a way out."

"But how're we gonna free the chief?" asked the soldier.

Mustang frowned. "We're in the middle of a wood. If we get out, I can transmute some wooden poles and put them in his place."

"I see. I suppose you can't use alchemy here to magically solve our little problem?"

"Who're you calling little?" muttered Edward but he was ignored this time.

"Not without risking another collapse." answered the older alchemist.

Havoc nodded and the two adults walked deeper into the cave. It didn't take them long to reach the end though. There was nothing there, just stones, dust and a bundle of sticks, which indicated that someone was indeed using the cave. Mustang took one of the sticks and lit it on fire. Now that they had a torch, there was no need for Mustang to keep up his alchemy.

"Don't think this is the way out." noted the lieutenant.

"No." agreed the colonel as he looked around. "And we don't know how deep we are, so transmuting the walls is out of the question."

"Which means the only way out is the blocked entrance."

"Exactly."

The two soldiers returned to the entrance and examined the stone wall, after putting their makeshift torch between two stones on the ground so they had free hands.

"I think," said Edward, breathing heavily, "that the alchemist we're dealing with had a good knowledge of geology. The bomb was not very strong but it hit in the right spot to make the whole entrance collapsed."

"Exactly what I thought." agreed Mustang. "And if the bomb wasn't that strong, that means the wall won't be very thick, hopefully."

"So we'll dig through the stones?" asked Havoc.

"That's the idea." replied the colonel. He looked again at his youngest subordinate and noticed the teen was sweating and slightly shaking. He also winced or grimaced here and there and looked like he was trying to shift his weight but couldn't.

"You okay, Fullmetal?" asked the older alchemist.

"Yeah, never better." replied the teen sarcastically. Then he winced again and bit his lip. Mustang frowned.

"It's just..." Ed continued but then gasped slightly and took a steadying breath. "The stone is far from smooth. It's just the sharp ends digging in my back. Gets annoying after a while."

"Okay," said Mustang. "We'll try to make an escape route. You think you can hold on for a few more minutes?"

"Sure," nodded the young state alchemist.

"Okay," nodded the colonel as well. Although the obvious strain on Ed's face belied his word choice, he didn't comment on it. It wasn't like he could do something about it. So he joined Havoc, who was carefully making his way through the stone wall on one side of the cave.

Edward sighed. Despite his brave words, he wasn't so sure of himself. His muscles had started hurting and it was only going to get worse. His neck was stiff but he couldn't afford to waste his strength on holding his head up. And the worst was his back, stiff and sore from the exertion. There was a sharp pain, like a bunch of knives, from the rough surface of the boulder digging into his skin. He wished he could shift. It was getting worse every minute. He felt like a hedgehog with his spines pointing the wrong way. If he managed to get out of here alive, he was going to be sore as hell tomorrow.

When he was a kid, he played the game 'who can last longer' with Al. He knew he would feel like hell long before he would quit. When you think you have no strength left, you still have half of it. He still hoped though that Mustang and Havoc would hurry up. He couldn't stand here forever. If he let go, the other two had a good chance of surviving, but Ed would be dead for sure. So he was literally holding on for his life. And he didn't like it a bit.

"There's still one thing I can't put my finger on." said Havoc. "If that baddies guessed we'd come here and their alchemist went through the trouble of positioning the mine, why to make it so weak? He could kill us all with one blow! But instead he just caused the cave-in. It was more like an earthquake than a bomb. The blow didn't even scratch us. I wonder why he did it."

"Ask him, not me," replied Mustang. "But if you want a theory, I think he didn't want it to be evident that it was alchemy what killed us. If we don't come back, somebody is going to come to look for us. If they found an alchemically created bomb and three burned corpses, it would be obvious what had happened. But if we died in a cave-in, it could be classified as an accident."

"Suspicious."

"But not impossible." countered the colonel. "And even if they knew he did it, they'd have to find evidence or they couldn't accuse him. Suspicion isn't good enough evidence."

"Well, his bad. This way we're all alive enough to put him in jail. I'm sure attempted murder of two state alchemists won't look good for him."

"It won't" agreed Mustang and glanced at his youngest subordinate. He wouldn't forgive anyone who tried to hurt one of his men. Rage built up in his chest. "And I'll make sure he regrets not killing us when he had the chance."

They continued to dig through the wall. It was a slow process. The stones were heavy and they had to move slowly so the whole thing wouldn't collapse on their heads. Despite his words, the two soldiers could see Edward's exhaustion. He was shaking all over now and his panting was getting worse. Sweat dropped down from his forehead. It had to have been more than half an hour since the cave-in and it was taking its toll on the young alchemist. And nobody knew how much more time it would take them to get through.

Suddenly there was a screeching noise. The stones shifted. Ed's head shot up and he screamed in pain. Both adults were instantly next to him but there wasn't much they could do. The boy was gasping for air and biting down his lips but groans still escaped his mouth. His small frame was trembling profusely. Blood ran down his left side where a sharp end of the boulder dug in deep between his ribs. When Havoc touched his side to examine the wound, the teen cried out again. Then his head went limp and he was gasping for air again, groaning in pain.

Mustang looked at Havoc, worry written all over his face. The soldier mirrored his expression. "The stone dug into his back and is putting too much weight on the lower rib. At this rate, the rib could break!"

"Hurry up!" the colonel pointed to the hole they had managed to create and Havoc got back to work.

Mustang looked back at his youngest subordinate. He wanted to help him but didn't dare to touch something that might make it worse.

"Fullmetal..." he said. The boy only whimpered. Roy put a reassuring hand on his flesh shoulder but earned a pained yelp, so he backed down. Ed's shaking got even worse and he was dripping with sweat and blood.

"We're doing what we can to get you out of here." Mustang reassured the teen. The only answer was a whimper again but he took it as an acknowledgement.

Edward could barely understand what the other alchemist was telling him. White hot pain engulfed his back, blinding his mind. He felt like his skin was being ripped off. His whole back burned. And the pain went deeper inside, ripping his muscles and crushing his bones. He couldn't breathe. It felt like someone had stabbed him in the back and then twisted the knife inside. He felt nauseous. His whole body was shaking and he knew it'd give up soon. _I can't let go or I'm dead! I have to fight it!_ And he did, but an enormous weight was pushing him down. And he was losing. The world swam before his eyes and he couldn't see anything anymore.

The boulder started moving again. Mustang noticed the boy slipping. He quickly grabbed Edward's shoulders and held him in place. The teen screamed in agony but Roy didn't budge.

"Fullmetal, get a hold of yourself!" shouted the colonel but the young alchemist didn't show any reaction. He was fighting for air between his screams, his teeth clenched tightly. Mustang looked at the boy's side and his stomach clenched. As the weight of the boulder forced Ed's bone down, the gap was much bigger than the space between his other ribs. That had to hurt like hell. And what Roy was doing didn't help at all but he couldn't let go or they'd both die.

"Fullmetal, look at me!" ordered the colonel. The teen's eyes were glazed with pain but he managed to focus on his superior.

"Listen to me!" continued the man. "I'm going to hold the boulder and take some of its weight off of you but you still have to hold yourself, okay? Come on, Fullmetal! Hang on!" And when he felt the teen's muscles tighten, he slowly released his shoulders and shoved against the boulder with as much strength as he could muster.

Roy was surprised. That really was one hell of a weight. Didn't Fullmetal say that already? How the hell did he manage to hold the boulder in place with his back injured? And with his height on top of that? Even with all his strength the man wasn't able to move the boulder back. He expected that; when the stones shifted, putting it back to its original position was nearly impossible. All he could do was prevent it from moving more because not only would it hurt the teen but with every inch it leaned more into the cave, the stone became heavier. He was sure it wasn't this bad at the beginning.

If he could, the colonel would tell his young subordinate to let go and rest. There was no doubt he needed it. Mustang hated seeing him like this, but one glance at the boulders was enough for the man to realize it was too dangerous. He couldn't be sure he was holding all the weight of it or that he had his hands in a good position, because Fullmetal was still supporting it. And then there was the other boulder the teen was holding with his automail arm. No, to hold the whole thing in place someone had to be in a really good position. Ed had obviously found one or he wouldn't be standing there in the first place. Roy needed the posts from the trees outside. Every other attempt to free the teen could cause the stones to collapse and kill them all. He hated it but now he couldn't do more than lessen the weight on Ed's back.

He was happy though to see that this helped the young alchemist. He was still panting badly and shaking so hard that his automail was clanking, but at least his cries of pain eased to quiet moaning. His head was hung down again though, so Mustang couldn't see his face. It was obvious that Edward wouldn't last much longer. No doubt the boy's will was strong but his body would give up sooner or later. And all Roy could do was stay there as the time went on.

Edward didn't know what was holding him up anymore. It had to be pure will because he had no strength left in him. He was now really thankful for Mustang's help but he still felt terrible. All his muscles were burning with horrible pain. He was breathing heavily and still couldn't get enough air in his lungs, and every breath sent a sharp pain in his already burning back. He felt like the boulder was crushing his ribcage, not allowing him to breathe. It hurt so much. He was getting dizzy. His whole body tingled. Black spots appeared in the corner of his vision so he closed his eyes. _Don't pass out! Don't pass out!_ He repeated himself over and over. _It can't last much longer!_ He concentrated on one thing only, just holding himself up. It had to end any minute…

"I'm through!" shouted Havoc. Relief washed over the colonel.

"Come here!" he called.

"The hole isn't too big-" said the soldier as he came back to the two alchemists but Mustang stopped him.

"Doesn't matter. Come here, you've got to help him hold it. Fullmetal, listen!" he addressed his young subordinate and got a grunt in response. "I'm gonna change with Havoc. It might hurt so brace yourself, okay?"

"`kay" whispered Ed through clenched teeth.

Roy stepped aside so Havoc could get a good footing. The soldier put his hands near the colonel's and propped himself against the boulder. The older alchemist let go. During the whole exchange Edward didn't give more than a few gasps. When his hands were free, Mustang made his way quickly to their escape route. The hole was small indeed and sharp ends of the stones were sticking out everywhere. He had to move carefully so he wouldn't tear his clothing or hurt himself. As he managed to squeeze through, he ran to the nearest tree, got some chalk from his pocket and began drawing a transmutation circle.

* * *

><p>Havoc had always respected Edward, both as an alchemist and as a person but now it came to a whole new level. He could feel with his own hands how heavy the boulder was and he probably wasn't holding all the weight; how the hell could the kid hold it for so long? All he wanted to do was spare the boy from his burden. He looked like he had already had enough. Hopefully the colonel wouldn't take too long.<p>

"You still with me, kid?" asked the soldier. There was a grunt in response.

"Stupid question, huh?" continued the man. "I just don't want you to pass out, so I'll be babbling for a while, okay?" He took a deep breath. "I haven't thanked you for saving my life, have I? So thanks. I'd probably be dead otherwise. I still don't know how you managed to react so fast, although I'm not surprised. Everyone who works with you is used to unbelievable stunts." he chuckled. "So, when someone from the team saves my life in action, I usually buy them a drink; but you're a minor, so that's out of the question. Hot chocolate? That sounds too childish, doesn't it? What about eat-as-much-as-you-can lunch? That would fit your eating habits, right?"

Havoc didn't worry that Ed wasn't responding. He didn't expect him to. The boy had enough problems trying to get much-needed air into his lungs, let alone to speak. He hoped though that listening will help him to stay awake.

Suddenly there was a loud bang behind them and they both jerked. The older man looked around and saw a thick, two meter wooden pole rolling on the ground. Then he watched another fly through the hole he had managed to dig and hit the wall of the cave with the same bang. Three more followed, and then Mustang's head appeared in the cave.

"About time," greeted the soldier.

"How's he holding up?" asked the colonel as he squeezed through the hole.

"Could be better," replied the blond man. "But he's still standing."

"Good."

The older alchemist started positioning the poles against the stone wall; three longer somewhere upward, two shorter just above the teen's shoulders.

"Fullmetal, you hear me?" asked Mustang while he was working with the poles. He got a grunt in response again. "I need you to listen to me carefully. You'll be free in no time but you have to let go slowly, so we know it's holding in place and the whole thing won't collapse on our heads, okay? I'll guide you. When I tell you that it's okay, you can let go and I'll catch you. Understood?"

"Yeah" whispered Ed.

"Okay," said Mustang. "The poles are in place. First your automail arm. Put it down. Really slowly."

And he did. The poles creaked against the ground and they all froze. But it still held in place.

"It's okay," reassured the colonel. "Go on."

Edward slowly put his automail arm down. The poles still held steady. Roy kneeled and positioned himself in front of his subordinate. It was a little difficult with all the wooden poles and Havoc still standing there. He grabbed the teen lightly under his armpits and took a deep breath. He could feel the small body shaking violently.

"Okay. Come down. Slowly."

Ed leaned into his superior's arms and finally freed himself from the stone prison. Burning pain shot through his back and he gasped. But strong arms held him steady. He stopped just a few inches from the boulder. Nothing moved.

"It's okay, Fullmetal." said the older alchemist. "You can let go."

Edward let his body relax and collapsed into Mustang's arms. Now that he wasn't in immediate danger, his body was overwhelmed with exhaustion and pain. He could barely feel as he was dragged from under the boulder and carefully laid on his stomach. Spasms wracked his body and he winced, biting his lip to keep himself from crying out. He concentrated on his breathing. Deep breaths sent sharp pain to his back and left side so he settled for shallow ones. He was still panting but at least now he could lay and relax. He didn't think his body would obey him if he tried to move. He just laid there and breathed.

Mustang had a blond head gently positioned in his lap but his eyes couldn't move from the bloody mess which once was the boy's back. Nothing but shreds were left from Ed's clothes and the skin didn't look much better. It was badly scratched and there were several deep cuts, the worst was the one starting on his left side and going half way across his back. The edges of the wound were swollen and going from angry red to deep blue and purple. It was still bleeding, fortunately not too much. If they didn't care for it soon, though he didn't doubt the teen would suffer from blood loss.

Roy had seen a lot of injured people in his life. The worst was the war of course; but even in peaceful times there were sometimes missions where people got hurt or killed. Living the life of a soldier wasn't safe at any time. He hoped though that he'd never see Edward in pain. He cared about all his subordinates of course and hated to see them hurt, but this was something else. It was these times that reminded him that Fullmetal was still a kid. The other members of his team were adults who had chosen the military for their careers. Ed, on the other hand, had been forced into it, because how else was he going to find a way to fix his brother? And that was it; Ed didn't join the military because of himself. He did it because he had dedicated his life to his brother and finding a way to make him whole again.

And this was where it got him. Or rather, where Roy got him. He was the one who offered for him to join the military. He didn't regret it, not even now. He was still convinced it was the best option for the brothers, their only hope. But it also meant that he exposed Edward to the dangers of the life of a soldier. And in times like this he wished more than anything that he didn't have to.

Havoc, who didn't need to hold the boulder anymore, kneeled next to the teen and examined the damage. His face held a serious expression.

"It isn't as bad as it looks." the colonel assured him. "Most of it is probably superficial."

"Still has to hurt like hell." replied Havoc.

"Yeah, but hopefully he didn't suffer some serious injury. We have to-"

He was interrupted with a loud screeching noise. Both adults looked up and saw one of the poles slowly moving. Havoc leaped up and rammed it back into place. But then another one started slipping.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all who reviewed, favourited or followed the story (Brenne, Kaycee Columbell, AkariWarriorofSoul, Cutiepie120048, FullmetalTitans, LockXOn, RonAndKim, SyPews, Taisiya Yuyu, a Fighter and a Dreamer, hanatsuki14, mewhunter9, Literature work, Number314, Skirt2819, UmbriHearts, Zangetsu50). You made my day, people!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Out! Hurry up!" shouted Mustang. He was on his feet already and hoisted up the limp body of his youngest subordinate. Ed protested loudly but this time the older alchemist didn't pay attention.

"You go first!" he ordered the other soldier. "I'll hand you Fullmetal."

Havoc ran to the hole and squeezed himself through as fast as possible, tearing his uniform in the process. It was dark in the wood, the sun had already set. He turned around and reached out for the boy. The makeshift supports groaned again and the stone wall shifted. No time to be careful. He gripped the teen's arms tightly and pulled him out, then stood him on the ground somewhere behind him. The young blond fell down like a broken doll with a pained cry, but the older man didn't notice as he turned around to help his superior.

Mustang was halfway through the hole when the structure finally gave up. The older alchemist cried out in pain as heavy stones pinned down the lower part of his body. He tried to get out but he was trapped. Havoc grabbed his superior's arms and pulled with all his might. Roy let out another agonizing scream, but a second later the stones loosened and he was free. The blond soldier stumbled a few steps back before he tripped and both men fell on the ground. They just laid there for a few moments, panting.

"Havoc..." wheezed Edward. "I'll... kill you!"

Only now did he notice what he had tumbled over, or rather who.

"Chief! I'm so sorry!" he got off the teen, his superior officer still in his grip, but the other man cried out.

"Colonel!" shouted the soldier with worry, laying him carefully on the ground. "What..." then he saw it. Mustang's left leg was all torn and bloody and definitely broken. Open fracture. "Oh, hell..."

"Huh?" Ed mumbled and turned his head slightly so he could get a better look. Even in the dim light he could get a glimpse of white bones in the bloody mess. He paled. Bile rose up his throat and he had to gulp forcefully. Then he closed his eyes, trying to settle down his stomach.

"How bad...?" asked Mustang, his voice tight with pain.

"Pretty bad, sir." answered the lieutenant.

A booming sound came from inside the cave. Everybody set their eyes where the entrance had once been and the large cliff above it. Who knew how far the damage reached?

"We should get out of here." said the colonel. "It's not safe."

"Okay," agreed Havoc, putting his arm under Mustang's back. The man grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Fullmetal first." He ordered.

"You idiot!" shouted the teen. "You're hurt worse than I am! Just because I'm a kid-"

"No," interrupted him the colonel. "It's because I'm your superior officer and you're my subordinate. You go first. Unless you can get up and walk on your own!" He didn't care how harsh it sounded. This wasn't time for discussions.

And Edward, no matter how much he hated it, had to agree. His arguments didn't sound that strong when he was sprawled on the ground, unable to move. Although he already recovered from the worst, just this little outburst left him breathless. He tried to get up but his back screamed in pain. The world swayed before his eyes. He was still trembling violently and his body just refused to obey his commands. Ed had to admit he already pushed himself beyond his limits.

"I thought so," stated Mustang.

Havoc took the boy in his arms. When hoisted up, the teen let out a pained yelp.

"Sorry," apologized the soldier. He felt guilty when he realized what he'd done while getting the boy out of the cave. There wasn't time to be more careful; even like this the colonel didn't manage to get out in time; but still, he could have seriously hurt the younger alchemist.

Now that Havoc could get a closer look at his young comrade, he winced. With his upper clothes torn and useless, Ed's chest and stomach weren't well protected against the sharp stones. A new set of deep scratches now covered the teen's torso. The good news was that Ed's leather pants saved his legs and more private parts from the same fate. Havoc was really glad for that. The boy was in enough pain already.

The lieutenant stopped under one large tree about twenty meters from the cave and kneeled down but then paused.

"What?" asked the young blond in his arms.

"Just thinking," replied the soldier. "Would you be okay laying on your right side?" That seemed to be the only relatively unhurt part of the teen's upper body, and Havoc didn't want to worsen the boy's injuries.

Edward sighed tiredly. "Think so."

"Okay," said the older man, gently laying his living burden on the ground. He bent one of Ed's legs so he wouldn't fall on his stomach, unbuttoned his jacket and placed it carefully around the teen's shoulders. Ed watched the soldier, who was already running back to the cave, worried.

A few moments later he was back, supporting his superior. They were moving slowly. Mustang's face held a pained grimace and he leaned heavily on the other soldier. Havoc helped the older alchemist to sit down and propped him against a tree. Then he crouched down to examine the broken leg. The older alchemist started to say something but Havoc stopped him.

"I know, Fullmetal first."

"Not this time!" shouted Edward.

"No discussions, Fullmetal." grunted the colonel, but his voice was weak. His arguments didn't sound that strong now either.

"No!" objected the younger alchemist. "I have just a few scratches. You're bleeding all over the place!"

"I have enough of both of you!" snapped Havoc angrily, taking off his shirt. "I'm the medic here and I'll decide who needs to be treated first!" Both alchemists shut their mouths and looked at him, surprised. "Insubordination be damned, sirs." he added and started to tear the shirt, but then stopped and looked at Ed.

"Can you still use alchemy? It would be much faster that way."

"Of course," answered the teen. "Just bring it here."

As the older blond handed him the shirt, he carefully made contact with his bloody left hand and his metal one. There was a flash of blue light and he touched the fabric. It formed into a pile of bandages.

Meanwhile, Havoc found a thick stick, jabbed it into the ground and Mustang lit it on fire with a snap. When it could be seen more clearly, the wound looked even worse, the blond soldier noticed. He took the bandages and returned to the colonel.

"First I'm going to stop the bleeding. Then I'll take care of the chief. Then I'll fixate the fracture. No objections from either of you."

If the older alchemist wanted to voice any objections, it was cut short when the lieutenant applied pressure on his wound. He went pale and his breath hitched. He had to bite his lip hard to keep himself from crying out.

"I'm sorry," said the soldier apologetically. "I'm trying to be gentle."

"No, just go on," breathed the colonel, his voice tight with pain. "There is no gentle way to do this." He clenched his fists tightly and sat still while Havoc continued to dress his wound.

Edward just laid there and didn't say a word. When seeing his superior officer in such pain he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He was angry at himself. If he had been stronger and not just a dead weight for the two soldiers, Mustang wouldn't have gotten hurt. The rational part of him was reminding him that he was already hurt himself and there wasn't anything he could have done; and that he got hurt while saving the other two's lives, but one glance at his superior's pale and sweating face twisted in a pained grimace shut this rational part of him up.

People always assumed that Ed and the colonel didn't get on very well, but they didn't hate each other. Most of the insults and bad words were just a façade; like a game they both liked to play. He never wanted anything bad to happen to the man; especially not getting hurt this bad. When he thought about it, he had never seen the colonel hurt. Mustang was an annoying, egoistical idiot, but he was a good alchemist and a good fighter, Ed had to admit that. His flame alchemy was really impressive, too. He seemed to be nearly invincible. What happened today though shattered that image completely. The colonel suddenly seemed more... human. His usual mask was gone. He didn't look like a heartless bastard now; and for some reason Ed hated that even more. If the man wore his usual smug smirk on his face, it would be easier to ignore what was going on. But Mustang could feel pain the same as anyone else. Edward looked away, but the image of those black eyes full of pain couldn't disappear that easily from his mind. The colonel often talked about protecting his subordinates no matter what. Now Ed thought he understood that resolve in his superiors words. Risking his own life was something Ed could deal with; he had done it numerous times before. Watching someone else getting hurt was so much worse.

Edward didn't notice his eyes had shut until Havoc gently tapped his cheek.

"No sleeping, chief," the man said.

"I'm not sleeping," countered the young alchemist, but he was surprised by how tired his voice sounded. "Just resting."

Although he had to have dozed off for a moment, he realized. Mustang had his leg bandaged already and he was resting against the tree with his eyes closed. He was still pale and sweating but at least his face was calm now. Ed couldn't recall when Havoc finished dressing the man's wound and came to him.

"Well, you have every right to be tired, and I'm sure the blood loss isn't helping at all, but stay with me, okay?"

"Blood loss?" the teen stared at him in surprise.

"Boss isn't the only one who's bleeding all over the place." answered the soldier.

"Oh," the young blond stated weakly. He was still bleeding? He hadn't realized it was that bad. It had to be quite some time already. He didn't even know how much time had passed; since the stones first shifted, everything was a pained blur. He could now recognize the signs of blood loss. It explained why he was so weak and dizzy and why he fell asleep. Well, some of it was caused also by the exertion, but he had to admit his back hurt. A lot. How badly was he injured? Back injuries were dangerous. One bad hit to the spin and it could get serious. What if he suffered a permanent damage? There wasn't a way for automail to fix something like that. He was suddenly filled with dread.

"You're spacing out again," Havoc cut off his train of thoughts.

Ed blinked. How long had he laid there staring at nothing? _Don't think about it!_ He ordered himself. Now wasn't the time to burden his mind with pointless worries. He had to have a clear head.

"I'm okay," he assured the soldier.

Havoc nodded and took off the jacket and the rest of Ed's useless clothes. The teen shivered when the cold wind touched his wounds. Then the lieutenant took a clean cloth and wet it with water from his bottle. At this sight, Edward realized how terribly thirsty he was. He had to have been really out of it if he hadn't felt it until now.

"You want some?" asked the soldier when he saw the longing look in the boy's eyes. The young blond just nodded. Havoc gently lifted his head and allowed him to take a few swigs.

"Okay," the man said when he returned to his original task. "I'm sorry but this isn't gonna be pretty."

"Tell me," Edward said, and his eyes hardened. "How bad it is?"

"Much better than it looks, I'm sure." the older blond answered. Or so he hoped; he didn't have time to examine the full extent of the teen's injuries. "It's mostly scratches on your back, just a few deeper wounds. But it's full of dirt and debris. I have to clean it."

"Okay," Ed sighed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Havoc started to carefully take out all the dirt from the boy's wounds. It wasn't just the dust and debris from the cave. The man felt guilty when he saw the amount of pine needles and dirt sticking on the teen's bloodied back. The dirt had gotten there during his harsh try to get the young alchemist out of the cave. Havoc wished he could have been more careful. He hated to see how much pain he had caused his friend.

Mustang slowly opened his eyes and looked at his youngest subordinate. If he could've somehow prevented this... It was his fault Ed was here tonight instead of studying alchemy books with his brother. He knew there wasn't a way to protect the teen from all dangers, no matter how much he tried, but it didn't stop the feeling he was somehow responsible.

Edward laid still. His eyes were shut tight and Roy could see his clenched muscles, but the teen didn't even flinch. Any other boy would be already crying or screaming at this point. Ed didn't, because he had faced much worse situations than this. To Roy, this showed not only the teen's strong will, but also the terrible wrongness of the older Elric's life. There was the loss of two limbs and the automail surgery; the man didn't even want to imagine how much that had to hurt. And one would need much more than the fingers on his both hands to count all the life-or-death situations he had to face during his life in the military. Ed had seen more that anyone his age should. Hell, nobody of any age should be facing such hardship! Despite of all that, Ed wasn't defeated. He was still here, fighting. For some reason he couldn't quite grasp, knowing this made Roy feel really proud of the boy. A smile slowly appeared on his face. _Just hang on, Fullmetal! I'm sure that one day you'll find a way to get your bodies back and then you'll be free from all this pain._

Suddenly Edward cried out and squirmed away from Havoc's hands. The older man quickly backed down. He looked at the teen's pale face with worry.

"What is it, chief?"

"Hurts," he wheezed. Ed tried to take a steadying breath, but his back screamed in protest. It made him gasp, but that hurt even worse. He bit his lip and tried to settle down his breathing.

"You mean it hurt where I touched you?" asked the soldier. "Worse than the other wounds?"

Edward nodded, confirming the man's worries. That was the worst cut the teen had, the one he got from the boulder digging into his back, and judging from how awful it looked it wasn't just superficial.

"It hurts to breathe, doesn't it?" he asked again when seeing the boy's discomfort.

Ed nodded again. Havoc frowned.

"What is it?" asked Mustang. He could see a serious expression in the face of his subordinate.

"Trouble breathing," answered the lieutenant, "and strong pain in reaction to applied pressure would indicate broken ribs. If that's true," he realized, "we could've caused him serious injuries when we moved him earlier. Internal bleeding and such."

Havoc shivered. When looking at the bleeding boy in front of him, he couldn't get one image out of his mind. Edward, hurt and exhausted, who he had in his arms while getting him out of the cave, and then just stood on the ground without any help. Edward falling to the ground. Something he didn't fully realize at that time. He could've killed him. Oh hell, he could've _killed_ him!

"You didn't."

"Huh?" Havoc blinked.

"You didn't cause me internal bleeding." Ed repeated. "That'd hurt a lot more and I'd be coughing up blood, wouldn't I? It's just broken ribs. I can live with that."

"But..." the soldier didn't know what to say.

"It's okay," the teen stopped him. "You did what you had to. I'll be alright."

And he desperately hoped it was true. Ed tried not to think about it but he still couldn't get that catastrophic image, what would happen if he was permanently hurt, out of his mind. Not that he'd tell Havoc. The man was blaming himself enough already.

"I'm sorry, chief."

"It's alright." he repeated. It surprised him how natural it felt to him. He was using the same phrases when talking with Al. _I'm okay. Everything is going to be alright._ He was so used to pretending that nothing was wrong that he automatically wore the same mask when he noticed that Havoc blamed himself for what happened. Ed didn't want anyone to worry about him, especially not those who were close to him.

"Yeah," the lieutenant smiled and looked at the boy's back. "I need to finish this. I promise I'll try not to aggravate the wound, okay?"

"Okay," Ed smiled back and relaxed.

Havoc worked as careful as possible. To his relief Edward stayed calm. Either he didn't cause the boy any additional pain, or he was just too good at hiding it. Unfortunately, the latter was more likely. When all the scratches on his back and stomach were clean of dirt, the man took some bandages and put them on the deepest wound, minding the broken ribs. The boy just winced when he tightened the bandage and it was done.

"Well," sighed the lieutenant, looking over the remaining wounds. "I'd like to see it all covered but I don't have enough bandages."

"Here," said Mustang while unbuttoning his shirt. "Use this." And he handed the shirt to his subordinate.

"But, sir," countered the soldier. "You're hurt, you need to stay warm!"

"I still have my jacket." stated the colonel, relaxing against the tree. It was clear from his voice and posture that he wouldn't take any arguments.

"Okay," Havoc sighed and started to tear the shirt.

"Bring it here," mumbled Edward, and with a clap of his hands he turned the shirt into a pile of bandages. It was now that Havoc noticed the boy's left hand was also bloody. He had completely forgotten about that, due to more serious stuff. He carefully took it in his hands and examined it.

"How did that happen?" he asked.

"Huh?" Ed looked up at him. "Got smashed with a stone. No big deal. It's just bruised."

"Can you move the fingers?" the man asked, and he was happy to see the teen clench and unclench his fist easily. "Good, no broken bones. That's at least something. You're lucky, chief," he smiled.

"I'm lucky my other hand doesn't get bruised so easily," said the young alchemist. "The automail sucks, but it comes handy at times like this."

"Then I guess we're all lucky you have a prosthetic arm," chuckled the soldier while he cleaned and bandaged the boy's flesh hand.

"If you say so..."

Then the man took new bandages and looked over the teen. "Can you sit up?" he asked.

The young blond shrugged.

"Come on, I'll help you." said the lieutenant. He carefully grabbed the boy's shoulders and slowly sat him up.

Edward gasped. Careful or not, the movement sent a burning pain in his back. It radiated from his spine to his left side, digging in like sharp canines. He tried to catch his breath when the world swayed before his eyes. His head started pounding. Black dots appeared in his vision. He couldn't see. He couldn't hear. He felt like he was floating...

"Hey, chief! Can you hear me?" Some voice was trying to reach him. He felt like his ears were full of cotton. It took him some time to realize it was Havoc. What was Havoc doing here? And where were they? The woods. Yes, they were in the woods. Ed would rather be in a warm bed right now.

"Fullmetal, answer me!" That was the colonel. He sounded strange. Worried. But why? Mustang told him to answer. Answer to what? Oh, did he black out again? His head started to clear slowly. He could feel again. First came the burning pain in his back, but he put it aside. He was leaning against something. Something warm. He blinked. Havoc? Yes, the man had him leaned against his chest and was supporting him with his arms. Now he remembered. Havoc wanted to bandage his wounds. He told him to sit up. Bad idea.

"Fullmetal!"

Oh, yeah, he should answer. "'M 'kay" he mumbled.

Both men sighed with relief.

"Don't do that again, chief," smiled Havoc, squeezing his shoulder lightly.

"'M sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." said the man. "It's the blood loss. I should've expected this. You okay now? Can you sit on your own?"

Edward nodded, but it was clear in a moment that his body couldn't support his weight anymore, so Havoc still had to support him. Ed's head was pounding and his back was burning but he sat and held still so the older blond could continue his work. He didn't pay much attention though. He was surprised when a minute later he was wrapped in warm jacked again and laid down carefully. Havoc was really fast. Or he was still out of it.

"Here," the man let him take some more water.

"You feel okay?" the soldier asked. "You're not gonna pass out on me, are you?"

"No," the young alchemist assured him. He was still tired but at least his voice was a little stronger now. "I'm okay."

Havoc nodded and moved back to the colonel. "Now I have to do something with this so we can get out of here."

Considering where they were, it wasn't that hard to find some straight pieces of wood and splint the leg. Finding something to make crutches from won't be that hard either, the man thought.

"You're not going to set it?" Edward asked. At that thought, Roy paled.

"The leg? No," answered the lieutenant. "It's dangerous to manipulate with opened fracture. The standard procedure is to stop the bleeding, immobilize the limb and get the injured to a doctor as soon as possible. Which is what I'm going to do with you both." He sighed and looked at his superior. "I can't carry you both, sir. If I make you crutches, you think you can move on your own?"

"I don't have that much of a choice, have I?" the colonel chuckled humorlessly. "I'll be okay."

"I'm going to find some branches." Havoc said and stood up. "Can you turn them into crutches?" He asked Edward.

"Yes, I can." the teen answered. "Of course I can. Anytime. What'd you do without me here?"

The man chuckled. "I'd be totally lost."

"Yeah, of course," Ed rolled his eyes and looked at Mustang. "I bet it's part of the basic training for the soldiers. 'If you have a problem, find the nearest alchemist, he'll take care of it'."

"We just do things too easily," smirked the colonel. "They don't have a reason to try and do it themselves."

"You make life so easy for us, lesser humans," said Havoc with an ironic smile, handing Edward two thick long sticks. "It's so tempting."

The teen grumbled something when he clapped and made the crutches, but a smile still appeared on his face.

"Too bad you can't just clap and heal yourself." Continued the soldier more seriously.

"Alchemy isn't magic," said the colonel with a sigh.

"That'd be cool, don't you think?" smirked Ed.

"What?"

"To know magic!"

Both adults laughed.

"You know, chief," said Havoc, standing up. "Some people think your alchemy skills aren't that far from it. Come on, we have to get out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks Brenne, Kaycee Columbell, Volixia669 and guests for reviews, and thanks all who favourited and followed the story.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

They were moving slowly. Havoc was carrying Edward on his back and was doing all he could not to shake him. The kid was heavy. Really, how could someone so small weight so much? Oh, he'd be so dead if the teen knew he thought something like that about him. But still, automail sucked. Havoc had no idea how Ed could carry it everywhere all day and still do his crazy stunts. He made it seem so easy. The lieutenant didn't think he could've walked much faster with a burden like this even if he didn't have to take care of two injured comrades and pay close attention to his every step. Ed at least held a torch in his right hand so they could see what was in front of them. It was the pain-filled panting next to him that worried him the most.

When Havoc thought about it, he should be happy they were moving at all. They were really lucky. The wood was relatively free of any brush and the land was more or less flat. Even like this the colonel walked with great difficulty. _He shouldn't be walking at all!,_ crossed Havoc's mind. Walking with crutches was tiring. Mustang was soon exhausted and who knew what kept him going on. Even when he didn't stand on his broken leg at all, it still aggravated the injury. It had to hurt a lot. The older alchemist was gripping the crutches so hard his knuckles were white. Havoc wished he could do something more to help him, but he really couldn't carry them both.

"Hey," mumbled Edward. "Why don't we take a break?"

The soldier took one look at his superior and nodded.

"Boss," he called. "We should take a break."

Mustang stopped. He was dripping sweat. Havoc didn't wait for his acknowledgement; it was clear he was too tired to answer. The blond man just found a good piece of ground and carefully put Ed down. He found out earlier that it hurt the teen to sit on his own, so he supported him and laid him down. Then he helped the colonel to sit down and let him catch his breath.

"This isn't the way we came here earlier, is it?" asked Mustang after a while.

"No," agreed Havoc. "We walked a good distance before and there was a worse terrain. I didn't want to go there again. There should be a road soon where we're heading now. You two can wait there and I'll get the car."

"I see. We should get going, then."

"You sure, Boss?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." he nodded. He sure didn't look like it, but at least he was a little rested now. And the sooner they got out of here, the sooner they could get proper medical attention. The lieutenant helped him to his feet and then turned to the younger alchemist. Who had his eyes closed and didn't respond.

"Chief!" the blond shouted, slapping the boy lightly across his cheek. "Hey, chief! No sleeping!"

"'M tired," mumbled the teen, waving him off lazily.

"Not now, Chief. Come on, we're going." the man tried to pick him up, but this time Ed wasn't cooperating.

"Ah, just five minutes, Al. Colonel Idiot won't get crazy if he waits for a while."

"What interesting things you can find out sometimes." Roy sighed and then shouted: "Fullmetal! Get up! That's an order!"

Edward flinched. "Bastard," he grunted, but finally opened his eyes. "You don't have to shout. I'm up, you see?" And he tried to stand up, forgetting momentarily about his injured back. He didn't get far. Burning pain spread through his body. The world swayed. Fortunately Havoc was there, catching him and supporting him. And Ed was grateful for the help at the time, waiting for the world to settle down.

"Was that necessary, Boss?" the lieutenant asked.

"He's awake, isn't he? And we need to get going." The colonel sounded annoyed, but Havoc realized he was just tired. They all were. No doubt Mustang was in a lot of pain, and there was still a long way that he would have to walk on his own. He had every right to be annoyed. They should move on.

"Hey, chief, come on," he got the teen's attention and helped him climb onto his back.

They set off, maybe even slower than before. Havoc was really worried for the colonel. He was white as a sheet and was soon sweating and panting again. The lieutenant just hoped the other man would last long enough. They couldn't be far from the road now. It had to come into view any minute.

In the end it took at least another fifteen minutes to reach the road. The colonel was beyond exhausted now, leaning heavily on his crutches. Havoc put Ed down first; the teen didn't look that much better. Who knew how he managed to stay awake. The lieutenant then helped Mustang sit down and leaned him against a tree. He left the torch there for them and rushed out into the woods. The sooner he got them out of here, the better.

* * *

><p>They couldn't do anything but wait. The minutes slowly dragged on. Neither of them was talking; they were saving their energy. Edward laid on the ground and tried not to move. It eased the pain in his back. His injury still worried him. He didn't want to say anything in front of the lieutenant so the man wouldn't feel guilty. Now that they were alone he couldn't help it; his mind was full of the worst case scenario. He had had broken ribs before and this just wasn't it. It felt different.<p>

If he took deep breaths, it sent a sharp pain through his back. He used this to pinpoint the exact source of the pain. It was too close to the spine for his liking. Had he hurt his spine? It definitely wasn't broken; he could still feel and move his legs, both the flesh and the prosthetic. He had tried that a few times earlier.

The only problem was that he couldn't sit on his own. Or to be precise, he could but it hurt like a bitch. Which led him back to the spine. What could be wrong with it? Or was it something else? If he thought about it, he felt the same pain when he used his back muscles. Maybe it wasn't the bones that were injured. Although Ed wasn't sure that it meant he was out of danger of some permanent damage.

He hated to be kept in the dark. He had to know. Would his injury leave a permanent damage or not? Could it get so bad that they would make him leave the military? They couldn't. They just couldn't! No way! He had made a promise. And he was going to keep it! He was going to get his little brother's body back! He wasn't going to leave the military until it was done!

Ed glanced at his superior. Mustang should know how these things worked. He could ask him what his options were. If he told him though, he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret if things weren't going to end well. What should he do?

"You want something," grumbled the colonel, "or am I just that interesting to stare at?"

Ed lowered his eyes. The key question was if he could trust Mustang. The man was an idiot, and acted like a bastard sometimes, but deep inside he wasn't half bad. He never hurt him or made things difficult for him. He kept his secret and gave him a chance to fix his mistakes, even helped him along the way sometimes. Yeah, Mustang was annoying. He was pain in the ass to work with. But could Ed trust him? Yes, he could.

"I was just thinking..." the teen mumbled, but then took a steadying breath and spoke more clearly. "It's just... My back hurts. Can't deny it. Back injuries can get serious, you know. What if I was hurt worse than we thought and it leaves permanent damage? Can the doctor make me leave the military?"

Roy sighed. He was really worn out and wasn't in the mood for 'what ifs' right now. "Technically he can," he answered, "but only if it's serious. I wouldn't worry about that."

"But what if..."

"You don't know it, Fullmetal!" the colonel snapped. Now he had to argue with a paranoid teenager. Just great! "Don't speculate about things you can't know! Just wait for the doctor's verdict."

"I need to know my options before that!" Ed shouted. He needed to know what his options were before the doctor told him the bad news, so he could act quickly to save his title. Why couldn't Mustang understand this? "I just... I just can't leave the military. Not yet."

Roy looked into the boy's eyes. Really looked. There was that familiar fire he had seen the first time he had met the boy, always burning. There was more though. Ed was desperate. And Roy now realized what was really going on here. Edward needed the military to help him gain back what he had lost. That was the only reason he was here, right? And now he was afraid someone would take it from him. He could see it deep in the teen's eyes. The fear. It really unnerved him. He wasn't used to seeing this particular young alchemist afraid. And now Ed turned to him for help. Him of all people! Whether it was because he was the only one around, or because Ed really trusted him, he didn't know. _And you just snapped at him._

Mustang cleared his throat. "Fullmetal, can you move your legs?"

The teen blinked. It took him a second to catch on to the sudden change of topic, but then he answered. "Yes, I can."

"You think you can walk, after you're treated properly?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it." He really didn't have another option.

"Then you're clear."

The younger alchemist blinked again. "How can you just say that?"

"Unless it's something serious like paralysis, the doctor won't give you medical discharge if you don't want it. He can write some recommendations though and give it to your superior officer to consider. As for me, as long as you can walk, you're fit for duty."

There, he did it again. He kept Ed's only hope living; and at the same time opened the door to a dangerous world of adults to a kid. He still thought it was the best option for the boys, and he desperately hoped he wasn't wrong.

Edward just stared. Had Mustang just said what he thought he had? That was... unexpected, but welcomed. It warmed his heart to hear the words from his superior, Ed couldn't help it. He always knew he could somehow count on the colonel and his team, otherwise he wouldn't have told him about his worries in the first place. Hearing such open support though, that was something else. It buried the last bits of doubt gnawing at his mind. He may not always get on well with the man, but Mustang was someone he could trust. Ed felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. He would continue his journey no matter what. He wouldn't stop until he got Al's body back; whatever it took.

They were lying silently again, just waiting. Edward listened to the other man's calm breathing. The only other sounds were the night animals; an owl somewhere above them and a field mouse pattering on his small legs in the woods. Ed felt his eyelids dropping and had to fight hard to stay awake. All the sounds were soon so monotonous, as if inviting him to fall asleep. It was all so soft that it was like a lullaby. If he just gave in... It was almost soothing. And speeding up. Wait, what?!

Ed was wide awake immediately. Mustang's breathing pattern was speeding up. This wasn't good.

"Hey!" he called. "Hey, Mustang! What's wrong?"

The colonel just looked at him with tired eyes. He was white as a sheet and sweating.

"What's wrong?!" the teen repeated, propping himself up on his forearms. Sharp pain shot through his back and he gasped. He had to stop there but he didn't fall back to the ground. Something wasn't right here and he wouldn't just lay there and watch this time.

"I feel awful," said Mustang in a whisper, so the young alchemist nearly missed it. "I think the leg's bleeding again."

Edward looked at the man's broken leg. Bleeding indeed; there was a large red stain on the bandage. Could someone bleed to death from an open fracture? Not that Ed would want to wait and see. Mustang looked bad enough now. Shit. _Shit!_ He had to something about it. Who knew how long it'd take Havoc to return.

Ed got to his hands and knees. Bad idea. Oh, _hell!_ His whole body burned with horrible pain. He couldn't see for all the dots before his eyes. His arms and legs trembled. He tried to breathe but his lungs refused to cooperate. But he couldn't give up! Somehow he managed to get over the distance and crawl to the colonel's leg. He knelt there, allowing himself a few seconds to recover. _This is nothing compared to the automail surgery!_ He repeated to himself over and over again. _I have survived a lot more. This is nothing!_

"Fullmetal..."

The voice woke him. Ed realized he had nearly fallen down. He quickly composed himself again and blinked a few times. The black dots cleared a little. He went to work.

"Fullmetal, stop." said Mustang weakly while the teen took off the bandage.

"Shut up!" Ed grunted through clenched teeth.

"You don't have anything... to bandage with..." the colonel whispered between his shallow breaths. He really looked awful.

Ed stopped for a moment. This was something he didn't think through. What could he use as a bandage? His mind was blank. He was using all his strength to stay upright; thinking wasn't something he was up to right now.

Under normal circumstances he'd be ashamed at how much time it took him to take off the jacket Havoc had lent him, clap his hands and turn it into some bandages, but these weren't normal circumstances and he was just glad that he could get back to work. Mustang sighed silently. Ed was worried that the man was losing consciousness, but he couldn't treat his leg and keep him awake at the same time. He had enough problems to concentrate on with this one task.

Edward continued to take off the bloodied bandages. He had to work fast. His harsh, jerky breaths couldn't get enough air in his lungs and his strength was running low. Searing pain was spreading through his back. It was getting worse every second. He was dizzy and nauseous. His hands trembled so hard he had problems coordinating them. His body just didn't listen to his commands anymore, like it was slowly going to sleep. It was just a matter of time before he passed out or fell on the ground. And no way in hell was he going to collapse before he finished this!

Edward took one of the new bandages and simply put it on the wound, then another and fastened it as much as he could. The colonel screamed. He tried to squirm away but wasn't strong enough. Ed winced, but he didn't have time to be more careful. He had to work fast. First priority was to stop the bleeding. Mustang's pained cries slowly died down and that worried the young alchemist even more.

Edward nearly couldn't see what he was doing anymore. He was gasping for air. But the wound was bandaged safely again and hopefully wouldn't start bleeding until they got into hospital. The fracture just needed to be fixated; even if the colonel didn't move, it would ease the pain and prevent the injury from getting worse. So Ed hastily reached for the sticks and immobilized the limb.

Then he allowed himself to give out. He couldn't see. Couldn't hear. Not that he'd care about such things right now; he just waited for the pain to ease into a bearable level. His harsh gasps for air slowly turned into shallow breathing again. He felt almost relaxed.

It took him some time to realize he was lying comfortably on something. He felt totally spent. The sharp pain was still coming with every breath. He was wrapped in something warm. Didn't he turn the jacket into bandages? How was it there again? He slowly opened his eyes. The wood was all around him. So he wasn't in a hospital yet. He could see legs. Military blue... Mustang? He was lying in Mustang's lap?! If he hadn't felt so awful, he would have jumped up.

Ed slowly turned his head and looked at his superior. The colonel was shirtless. Well, that explained where the jacket came from. He still looked terrible. His face was sickly pale and he seemed to be sleeping. When Ed carefully lifted his left arm and touched the man's skin, it was freezing cold.

"You idiot!" the teen mumbled. "What good will it do to help me if you kill yourself in the process?"

"I don't plan on dying anytime soon, Fullmetal." Well, Mustang obviously wasn't sleeping.

"Really?" Ed said with a stronger voice. "have you looked in the mirror lately? You look like crap. And you're freezing. Take your jacket back."

"No," the colonel said weakly but firmly. "You're one to talk, Fullmetal. You don't look that much better."

Edward didn't argue with him because he knew it was true.

"This sucks!" the teen grumbled.

"What?"

"We look pathetic! What great state alchemists we are, coming back home in pieces like this. Everything because of a little trap. We can't even handle some stupid rogue alchemist!"

Roy chuckled. "I'm surprised to hear something like that from you, Fullmetal. You should know that we're not knights in shining armor and we don't live in fairy tale. We can't win every battle."

Ed scowled. "Do you think I'm some stupid child who knows nothing about the big world?

I don't need someone like you to enlighten me! I've seen enough!"

The colonel didn't reply. Edward just sighed, forgetting his anger. "I know the way people look at me, like I'm a hero or something; but there is nothing heroic on the life we live. We could easily die here tonight; while searching for evidence in some stupid cave. There'd be no meaning to our deaths, no purpose. We'd be just a few more numbers on the victim list of some no-name idiot. We should be happy that we got out with our lives."

Mustang looked down at the boy. It was strange how harsh his words sounded. Roy had seen people twice Ed's age who were far more naive. Hell, he himself was a naive idiot with heroic dreams when he was younger. Shouldn't young people have the right to be naive and innocent? Roy knew at least one who had every damn right.

"And still," Ed continued, "we look like idiots here. I mean, shouldn't we be the elite? How can we just walk right into the trap of some second class alchemist? That's embarrassing!"

Mustang couldn't help but chuckle. That was the brat he knew! How often had he scolded the kid about his childish behavior; and how glad he was now to hear him fuming at something so stupid?

"I wouldn't say it's embarrassing," said the colonel, "but I know what you mean. I have an important mission to do and people who count on me, and here I am, not even able to stand on my own."

"Just as I said. It sucks."

"We should learn from our mistakes, Fullmetal. Besides, I wouldn't call what you did today pathetic. Despite the tough situation you saved the lives of your comrades and didn't get yourself killed in the process. That counts too."

Ed smiled. That was another way to look at the situation. It wasn't often that Mustang complimented him for something. Actually, he couldn't remember if Mustang had ever complimented him at all.

"You just have an answer for everything, don't you?" the teen couldn't help but reply.

There was no answer to that. Edward looked up, alarmed. The colonel had his eyes closed again.

"Hey!" the young alchemist shouted but got no response. "Hey, Mustang! Wake up, you idiot!" He reached up to shake him. His skin was freezing cold and clammy. Now when Ed thought about it, the colonel's breathing was way too fast and shallow; and when he had talked earlier, he had sounded awfully tired. Apparently he had lost too much blood and was going into shock.

"Colonel Mustang! Open your damn eyes right now!"

Tired black eyes looked back at him. They weren't very focused, though. Ed's thoughts raced as he tried to remember how to treat shock. He wasn't very coherent himself, so it was a bit difficult. All he could think of was that Mustang was freezing and it wasn't good. How could he keep him warm? The colonel refused to take back his jacket; and if he did, Ed knew that then he would face the same problem himself. He wasn't in that much better condition. So there weren't many options now. Talk about embarrassing...

"Mustang, help me sit up." It almost sounded like an order. The teen grabbed his superior's shoulders and lifted himself up. The burning pain spreading through his back made him gasp. Black dots appeared again before his eyes. He didn't have enough strength for this. His body trembled with effort. Then strong arms held him firmly, though little clumsily. With the colonel's help Ed managed to sit himself up somehow. He leaned on the man, unable to hold himself upright. His back hurt. It was much better when he was laying down. While sitting, the pain just didn't get better. He had trouble breathing as every breath sent a sharp pain through his back.

Ed refused to give up. He just allowed himself a minute to put himself together and then shifted a little and embraced his superior so he lent him as much of his body heat as possible. Mustang, who somehow caught onto his idea, had already shifted the jacket so it was now covering the boy's back and shoulders. Then they stayed like this and waited.

"Talk about embarrassing," the colonel voiced Ed's earlier thoughts.

"One dirty comment about this, Mustang, and I'll kill you!" Edward grunted. "And if you ever tell anyone, I'll rip your head off and use the rest of your body as a punching bag."

Roy sighed, but didn't say anything. It didn't occur to him to say any dirty comments about the boy's act. He knew very well why he had done it. Roy was actually grateful; and really surprised. He had known Fullmetal for a long time and the kid just wasn't the cuddling type. It had to take a lot to put his pride aside. And here he was, saving his comrade again. Mustang would have to find a way to thank him later.

Ed thought about it a little and just couldn't find out what made him to do something like this. Cuddling with Mustang! Wasn't he an idiot? Yesterday he'd beat anyone into a bloody pulp for even suggesting it. The only reason that he didn't pull away was because he just couldn't move anymore. But then, when his mind cleared a little from the pain and embarrassment, he remembered. Those eyes. Mustang's black eyes, suddenly so empty and distant. The fire, always strong and burning, was now gone. The eyes looked almost dead. And although Ed would never admit it, he was scared.

Edward felt his superior's head resting on his flesh shoulder. It hurt, but he didn't complain. It took him a minute to realize that Mustang had passed out again. For good this time, it seemed. Well, there wasn't much Ed could do. Just sit there and wait. He listened to the man's breathing; much calmer now to his relief. He let himself relax. It didn't take much time until he too fell into unconsciousness.


	4. Epilogue

**Thanks to all who reviewed, favourited and followed the story. It makes me so happy you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it:)**

**So, this is the end, but don't be sad; where one story ends, another begins!**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"It wasn't your fault," Riza's kind voice cut through the uncomfortable silence. Her hand squeezed the man's hunched shoulder reassuringly. Havoc just sighed.

When he had called everyone into hospital this early in the morning, they had expected something bad. They all knew that they were living a dangerous life, but hearing that their comrades were hurt during a mission wasn't something they could get used to. Every time, they found themselves thinking about what they could have done to prevent this, over and over, although they knew they couldn't undo what had already happened. That was how Havoc felt right now. When he had finally reached the two injured alchemists, they were both unconscious. Terribly pale and embracing each other like they were holding on for their lives. If it weren't for their chests visibly moving with every breath, they could have been dead. For some reason, seeing them so still and silent like that had terrified the lieutenant more than when they were actually in pain.

Havoc wasted no time to get them into hospital. They didn't wake up; the only responses to the blond man were a few murmurs. At least it meant they weren't in deep unconsciousness. He wrapped them both in military blankets he found in the car and took them in. Havoc also noticed that the colonel's wound was redressed. That had to be Ed's doing. He was really grateful to the young alchemist for taking care of his superior when the lieutenant couldn't. Was the cuddling also the kid's idea? It seemed nearly impossible, but Havoc knew very well what was in the boy. He might act like a tough teenager but he still cared deeply about those around him.

The ride back to the town was agonizingly slow. Havoc had nearly damaged the car in his haste to reach his injured comrades, but with them in the car he had to drive more cautiously. He had tried not to shake them too much, but the road just wasn't smooth. Far from it actually. Maybe it had been good that the two were unconscious. When they finally reached the town, it was just matter of minutes to get to the hospital. Then it was up to doctors.

Havoc then called the rest of the team and Alphonse there and filled them in while they were waiting for the colonel and Ed to get treated. When the lieutenant told the others what had happened, he couldn't help but feel at fault. He was the one who had stepped on the transmutation circle. He should've waited for the two alchemists and not tried to uncover it on his own. Havoc was playing out the events of the night all over again trying to find out what he should've done better. Hawkeye obviously saw his misery and tried to calm him down. No good, he wouldn't calm down until he could see Mustang and the kid and hear that they were alright.

They couldn't do anything but wait. At least neither of the two injured was in danger of dying. That made it all much more bearable. They both had to undergo a surgery but they weren't really fighting for their lives. Although just the fact that they were not dying didn't mean that they would be alright. Havoc's reeling mind wouldn't rest until a doctor walked through that damn door and told him that they were okay.

The white sterile room provided no comfort for its occupants. Nobody talked. The stillness and silence reminded Havoc of the sight of his two injured comrades, leaning against the tree in an embrace, unconscious. He tried to get that haunting image out of his mind but there wasn't anything else in the room he could concentrate on, only his worried friends. There were no windows. It had to already be dawn outside but they couldn't tell. Only the clock on the pale wall showed the time passing by.

It was at least another half an hour before the doctor finally came in. From his smile it was obvious he had good news. Everybody was filled with relief.

"You all are here for colonel Roy Mustang and major Edward Elric?" the doctor asked at first, slightly bemused. When he had left to take care of his two patients, there had only been one soldier waiting there.

All occupants of the room nodded, so the doctor continued. "They both got out of the surgery without complications and now are resting. The colonel's left leg is badly broken and his muscles are torn but fortunately none of the damage was too severe. In a few months his leg will be as good as new. Young Elric got out of it a little better, no broken bones."

"No?" Havoc was surprised. "I thought he had broken ribs. He had trouble breathing and moving and such."

"Torn ligaments." Answered the doctor. "And torn muscles as well. That will get you similar troubles as broken ribs. The ligaments that hold the rib to the spine were torn, presumably due to a great pressure. But it's nothing that can't be healed. We sewed the torn muscles and ligaments and gave him a brace to hold it all in place. I'd say two weeks of bed rest and then some rehabilitation and he'll be okay. Beside that he has a great amount of lacerations and bad scratches and bruises, but they're not that severe. We only had to stitch a few of the deepest wounds. Both young Elric and the colonel were also treated for blood loss, exhaustion and dehydration. We expect them to sleep a lot the first few days."

"Can we see them?" Alphonse asked with hope shining in his red eyes. He had to make sure his brother was okay.

"Yes," smiled the doctor. "For a moment. They're still sleeping."

Only then did Havoc finally let himself fully relax. To see his two comrades- although covered in bandages with IVs attached to their arms- sleeping safely and peacefully filled his heart with relief. He had done everything that he could have and now they were all going to be okay.

* * *

><p>"Can I turn the page?" Al's soft voice asked.<p>

"Just a moment, Al," Ed answered. He was a little slower with reading in this position.

That morning Edward had been released from hospital, to his immense joy. It was boring to death in there. He was back in his comfy hotel room now, but was still ordered to bed rest. Not that he minded much; even if he could move around without help now, he still hurt a lot. His earlier attempt to read in bed had led to severe back pains and Al had had to take the book from him. Ed finally found a position on his right side where he was more or less comfortable, but there was no way he could hold a book like this. Fortunately his little brother agreed to hold it so that they both could read. His metal body couldn't get tired so he didn't mind sitting a little uncomfortably. Ed had to read while lying on his side, which was a little difficult but he was glad he could read at all.

"Brother, don't you think you should rest?"

"I'm resting!"

"Studying alchemy isn't resting, brother. You should take a nap or something, and not strain your healing muscles."

"I'm not, that's why you're holding the book!"

Al ducked his head a little at his brother's annoyed tone. Ed sighed and his voice softened.

"Hey, Al. I'm okay. I'm sorry for earlier. It doesn't hurt that bad anymore. But I'm bored and it's slowly driving me crazy and I need to read something. I'm not tired enough for a nap anyway."

"Okay," the armored boy mumbled. Then he lifted his head and pinned his brother with his soul-fire eyes. "So are you going to listen to the doctor's orders this time and not try stupid things like sitting in the bed and reading while your back isn't healed yet?"

Edward chuckled. Overprotective little brother. Ed remembered the first time he had woken up in the hospital. Al was there, worrying just as Ed knew he would be, but happy to have his brother back and safe. The teen himself was happy to no end when he heard that both he and Mustang would make a full recovery without any complications. For a moment he was really worried for the colonel, but the man was alright now. Havoc told him the colonel was more or less okay when he found them, partly thanks to the boy. Ed was assured Havoc wouldn't tell anyone about the cuddling, to his relief. The blond soldier actually looked grateful. And when Ed looked at Mustang, the man smiled at him. Really smiled! It was probably the closest to 'thank you' that he'd ever get, but it was enough.

Ed smiled to that memory and looked back into his brother's eyes. They made it out alive. He could still be there for his little brother and continue his mission to get their bodies back. All it would take is a little time and some doctor's orders. The teen wasn't very happy about it, but if it made make his precious little brother happy, he could do it alright.

"Okay, Al. I'll follow the doctor's orders and I promise I won't do stupid things anymore."

"Really, brother?" Al asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah. As long as you're gonna hold the book like that."

Alphonse laughed. "Okay, it's a deal!"

* * *

><p>Roy Mustang laid in his bed and read. His broken leg was laid comfortably on a stuffed pillow. He was finally home from the hospital and was looking forward to two months of medical leave. Hawkeye had promised him she would bring his paperwork to his home since he could work alright while his leg was healing, but when she saw how much pain he was still in, his faithful lieutenant decided the paperwork could wait for one or two more weeks.<p>

So Roy enjoyed the free time he got and just rested, since he couldn't do much more. He was glad he was allowed to use crutches to at least get to the bathroom and back to bed. Fullmetal would be back on his feet weeks before him. Not that he'd be jealous, he was actually really happy for the boy. The doctor had told him that with some time and rehabilitation the kid would get a clean bill of health. No permanent damage. Just what they all hoped for.

Two days ago he had been told that his team had managed to find the terrorist group and arrest their leaders, including the alchemist that had tried to kill them. They had beaten the terrorists even without his or Edward's help, and Roy couldn't help but feel proud of his men. Alchemist or not, every man could be killed with a single bullet, and Hawkeye was a damn good sniper.

What made him feel bad though was when he heard that Havoc had been injured during the operation. Shot in the arm. Mustang didn't know if it had something to do with it, but Havoc had been hurt in the cave too. A bruised back sure wasn't a severe injury but it still had to hurt. It could slow the blond soldier or make his movements stiff. In a fight, something like that could lead to injury, or worse. Havoc probably ignored his bruises due to the more serious injuries Edward and Mustang had sustained. Maybe it was silly but Roy felt responsible. It was his man who had gotten hurt after all. Riza reassured him though that it was only a flesh wound and Havoc was enjoying his medical leave with a beautiful woman right now. Mustang had to smile at that. He was sure his lieutenant had made up some nice story about getting hurt while being a hero and that he'd find enough young women willing to listen.

There was the sound of a key in the lock of the main door. Mustang relaxed against the pillow. He could recognize Riza's soft steps on his carpet. She had probably just returned with the groceries. Since he had a broken leg and still couldn't move around much, the simplest things like shopping or basic chores were really difficult for him. That was why his loyal subordinates took shifts and every day he had someone to come and take care of things. Riza had even cooked him some delicious dinners. Roy felt deeply touched. They weren't just his subordinates; they were like a family to him. With Edward and Alphonse counted, they made one really crazy family, but Roy wouldn't replace it for anything.

He thought of Hughes; the man annoyed him with his advice to get himself a wife all the time. Maybe he just wanted for Roy to have a family, someone who'd stand by his side no matter what, until the end. If that was the man's concern, he didn't need to worry anymore.


End file.
